DeNobile's 2 TD passes in final minute rallies Lafayette to 40-35 win over Monmouth

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) — Dean DeNobile threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final minute, including the winner to Elijah Steward, to lead Lafayette to a 40-35 win over Monmouth on Saturday.

Sone Ntoh scored on a 17-yard run to give Monmouth a 35-28 lead with 1:54 remaining. The Leopards took only a minute to respond on DeNobile's 12-yard pass to Chris Carasia but a two-point conversion pass failed leaving them a point short. Lafayette recovered an onside kick and DeNobile found Steward deep down the left side for the 42-yard score with 36 seconds remaining.

Monmouth got it to Lafayette's 35-yard line with 22 seconds left before Gabe DuBois intercepted a pass over the middle to seal it.

DeNobile was 31-of-45 passing for a career-high 394 yards and the two touchdowns for the Leopards (1-1), ranked 19th in the FCS coaches' poll and the Patriot League preseason favorites. Steward had 15 catches for 244 yards, second-most in school history behind Joe Ort's 274 in 2006. Jamar Curtis scored three touchdowns and finished with 87 yards on 21 carries.

Derek Robertson was 24-of-36 passing for 355 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions for the Hawks (0-2). TJ Speight had 97 yards receiving, 89 coming on an end-around that had given Monmouth its first lead, 28-21, early in the fourth quarter.

The teams combined for 955 yards offense.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The Associated Press